Material Possessions
by Noriyuki Sato
Summary: AU set during the same time period, just outside of the RK world. When Sano took the simple kidnapping job he never imagined that his captive would end up stealing his heart in return. If you don't like OC's please don't complain, just don't read.
1. Default Chapter

Material Possessions  
By Noriyuki Sato  
Chapter 1

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"Shiya wait for me!" the little boy cried scrambling up the hill after his older sister.

The tall girl stooped to pick up the large water jug they had come to fill hefting it up on her shoulder with ease. She was surprisingly strong. For a girl. The many silver bangles hanging around her ankles and wrists jingled softly as she moved. Her ancestors were gypsies brought over for the purpose of entertaining the emperor but her people had long since moved on and spread out across Japan. Of course, they mingled with the natives.

Many generations later she, daughter of a warrior and a clan chieftain carried some of the most attractive traits from each race. Her skin was tanned like her father's- whom she had never met- but she had the seemingly delicate frame of the Europeans. Her eyes were large, expressive orbs of emerald green but they had a slight slant to them making them an appealing almond shape. Her hair was just as soft and silky as any full- blooded Japanese woman's but her's was also unruly and prone to wild curls when wet. She was not however the traditional decorous woman of their time. Quite the contrary, she was a right spitfire, a hellcat one stranger said having gotten on her bad side. Shiya also had a child like sweetness to go with her temper that was as magnetic as her looks.

Many men had asked for her hand in marriage but as of yet… At the age of 18 and one half she was still unwed and refusing all suitors… much to the dismay of the village's male population. Genki was her little and only brother and along with her mother she lived a peaceful life.

"Come now let's get home, mother will be waiting." She said

She took Genki's smaller hand and led the way along a well-worn path. It wasn't a long trip and the village was soon in sight. Everything seemed fine except that… There was no one to be seen... anywhere. Not even a chicken moved around between the houses to peck at the earth.

"Genki stay here." She said, placing down the jug

Her expression was hard as she reached to unravel the thick wrap she had donned in the morning chill. Dark armor covered her body over a form fitting bodysuit. At her hip was a coil of silver chain connected to a sharp crescent shaped blade strapped to her back. Held by leather to her opposite thigh was a satchel laden with throwing daggers as sharp as a samurai's blade. Her hair whipped untamed at her face masking then alternately framing with its tendrils such stern features for one her age.

The metallic chink of her chain was all to be heard as she stepped cautiously toward the dying campfire that normally stood blazing until night. Pots and pans littered the ground and forgotten bowls of rice and meat lay overturned as if dropped quickly. Signs of a scuffle were everywhere and even some blood also sprinkled on the dirt was plain to see. She bent slowly and put a hand to the ground to stabilize her crouch position. Reaching over her back to grip the blade's handle she watched for any signs of life.

"Show yourselves or I will seek you out the hard way." She said in a strong voice, "You have until the count of three."

There was still silence as she began to count

"One." she picked a target, "Two." tightened her grip, "Three!"

On three she flung the blade at the nearest house. The force of her throw sent it deep into the wood wall frame. With a harsh grunt, she wrenched the chain back taking the frame her blade was lodged in with it.

Inside two of her friends lay bound and gagged; at the sight of her they squirmed to get free and gave muffled cries against the fabric between their teeth. Shiya ran to them, bending over one as she removed the gag.

"Shiya watch out!" he yelled

She turned at the warning just in time to see her assailant raise his rusty cutlass. Blocking his downward strike, she shifted her body to roll out from under him but not before delivering a powerful kick to the groin of the man. He toppled over quickly, groaning as he tucked his knees up to his chest. A second attacker bombarded her with a flurry throwing stars that sunk into the earth harmlessly as she jumped away. She dispatched him before he could draw his second pouch of stars. He fell form his perch on a tree branch with a dagger in each leg.

She managed to surprise one man who was hiding in the side hut and seized him before he could react.

"Don't move or I'll slit your throat." She hissed quickly

He remained deathly still, dropping his sword at her order. With her bakuhatsugama pressed against the pulse in his neck, she growled:

"Who sent you worm, speak!"

He gulped but refused to answer even when she pressed the blade hard enough to draw blood. Shiya was growing tired of this silence act. She dragged him roughly to the center of the village. Several figures moved in the shadows of doorways and in bushes that paused at the sight of her and her hostage.

"I have one of your men, if he is of any worth to you show yourselves at once!"

Still all she got was the faint sound of talking between the figures; the armor-clad teen tightened her grip on the man and slowly raised her weapon until it hovered some distance above his exposed throat. Then with startling speed, she brought it down stopping just shy of her goal at the sound of a deep manly voice saying:

"Stop!"

She watched as droves of men appeared form everywhere. Leading the main bulk was a very tall man with spiky hair and a red bandana tied around his head. He crossed his muscular arms in an amused manner and said:

"Alright little missy you got what you wanted." "Now let him go."

She snorted at his words turning the flat of her blade onto the hostage's throat slowly throttling him.

"One less threat, you understand don't you." She said as she tossed the limp man aside disdainfully

This got no reaction much to her disappointment, his men -if indeed he was their leader- seemed mildly bored watching her with weapons held at ease. One spoke to his neighbor quietly then made an obscene gesture regarding her. so she made one back, although not in the same context. This made the tall one laugh and exclaim:

"So pretty and yet you have the manners of a sailor and a tongue as black to match!" he added hearing her curse as she realized she had dropped her dagger satchel.

"Are you the leader?" she asked eyeing one man who had advanced further than the rest.

The tall man raised his large hand and the other man halted, Shiya took this to be his answer.

"What have you done with my people?"

"Perhaps what you have done to mine." he replied his jest obvious.

This only earned him a fierce growl that made him rethink his approach with this girl.

"Hey don't worry, they're fine." He said gesturing towards the distant group of men.

The group parted to reveal her fellow villagers sitting in a huddled ring all bound but unharmed. Suddenly a shrill scream filled the air drawing alls attention then sending a collective wince through out the group as it was repeated only shriller still. Shiya's little brother had been caught. He squirmed in the burly arms of a very big man.

"Genki!" she called out to him

The giant of a man laughed at her reaction and tucked the boy under one arm and approached the leader.

" I found this one hiding in the stables, what should I do with the little mite?"

"Put him with the others."

The man shifted his grip to the boy's arm and then he dragged him towards the hostage group.

"Shiya!"

Shiya narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on the handle of her blade and growled fiercely. It drew the attention of the man holding her brother back upon her:

"Aw you're not going to start crying now are you?" he exclaimed mockingly

She tensed her body glaring hard at him then:

"DIE!" she roared

She sprung forth with amazing speed, whirling the blade deftly sending it out towards the man. Her attack fell short though instead of imbedding the cruel point deep into his forehead it slashed his wide chest.

What had caused this error was the crushing weight of a body upon her back slamming her into the dirt. She cried out as the person on top of her tore the chain from her hand. They jostled her roughly as they moved to lift her up. She lashed out and kicked him square in the gut gaining enough leeway to loose herself from her assailant's hold. She renewed her attack on her target now unarmed seeing only him and her little brother pleading for help. A swift chop to the neck from the hand of the man she had kicked sent her to the floor once again. She reached out to her sibling mumbling his name before darkness swallowed her up as consciousness left her.

"Shiya no!" Genki whimpered

"Shiya?" "This girl is called Shiya?" the bleeding man asked, "Hey boss you'll never guess who you just clocked."

Genki fell silent as if realizing he had just gotten his elder sister into more trouble than before. The tall leader motioned for someone to pick her limp form up and sighed when none of them would. They must hate her, and probably feared her slightly too. She had defied him and attacked their companions. she was dangerous. He himself lifted her up, she fell against his chest as he hoisted her up lest he loose grip. He was surprised by the frailty of her; she had seemed so powerful when they had fought. Where had all that strength come from?

"She fits the description," he muttered to himself

"What do you want from her?" Genii asked regaining some courage

"Me?" he paused thoughtfully. "Nothing kid, but someone else is paying us an emperor's ransom to get her."

With that, he casually slung the limp girl over his shoulder and turned to leave.

"No!" "Don't take my baby I beg of you!" Shiya's mother cried from her place within the group of captives

She was shaking as she sobbed, desperately reaching out to the prone figure. Her plea halted him long enough to afford the distraught matriarch one last look at her beloved daughter and the man taking her away. Her entreating seemed to strike a chord somewhere in the muscled giants heart for he handed the girl on gently and approached the woman. He knelt beside her and said quietly as he unbound her wrists:

"Don't fret she'll be well taken care of, a man called Rishoten Omaru has big plans for her."

Shiya's mother balked at the name Omaru and turned ghostly pale. She barely registered him pulling her to her feet.

"Now say your goodbyes and no more tears." He said as if the sight of such crying shook his resolve to take the girl.

She looked at him for a split second with a storm of different emotions swirling in her tear-filled eyes. Then she stepped towards her daughter and took her into her arms.

"Be brave my daughter." She whispered fiercely clutching her close then she let go as the man who had given her but a shred of kindness lifted her back atop his shoulder.

She did as she was told, not a single tear fell after but she could not wipe the look of utter despair off her suddenly aged face. Standing up straight, she lifted her chin in a stubborn act of pride and watched silently as her eldest treasure was taken from her, slowly becoming a distant figure within the motley group then an unidentifiable speck on the horizon.

When finally she could not sight her for all her squinting and straining the woman fell to her knees and let loose a heart-wrenching wail that echoed through the sun-dappled valley.

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So what do you think??

Yes, I know I am neglecting my other fictions and for that I am sorry but I just got the urge to do this one.

Fans of the story Festivals and Forget-me-nots will be glad to know I have the next chapter nearly done and it should be uploaded in the next few days if circumstances permit. I was unfortunate enough to damage my treasured writing hand…

Note to self:

When gigantic Great Dane barrels past dragging rusty chain, do NOT grab the chain.  
I didn't stop her from mauling the next-door neighbor's Irish Setter but I did manage to shuck all the skin off the inside of my knuckles…

Yes I do feel dumb, Nori no Baka.


	2. Author Note Gomen Nasai

First I want to extend my deepest apologies to my wonderful readers who bring me so much joy with their reviews and messages.

I have neglected you all terribly and I feel horrid for doing so.

It was brought to my attention by a close friend of mine that I have been acting atrociously lately, I visit every day to search for stories to read but completely by-pass my own account. I logged on today for the first time since 2005, a fact I am greatly ashamed of. I have an unfathomable amount of messages awaiting my response in my message box that I vow to go through tonight.

I WILL update my current stories and post the ones I've been working on during my absence.

I promise not to disappear like that ever again

So please still read my work??

Please?

Noriyuki (formerly known as Leiline Yuli)


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